The other day we were speculating about B-52s being used against ISIS, the context being RWNJ demands that the heavy bombers be so employed. It turns out that the B-52’s heavy partner, the B-1 (aka “Bone) is being used against the terrorist movement, with over 100 sorties so far. The B-1 can potentially carry a heavier bombload than the ‘52 but normally operates with a smaller load of guided weapons, especially the JDAM..

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar — Carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1B Lancer is the backbone of America’s long-range bomber force and is a key resource for strike operations throughout the Central Command Area of Responsibility.

As a unit, the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., replaced the 9th EBS just shy of a month ago and in that time they have flown just under 100 sorties.

“We continue to employ combat air power in support of the Combined Forces Air Component Commander’s objectives,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Kramer, 34th EBS commander. “We’ve dropped approximately 250 munitions on both deliberate targets, which are targets assigned prior to take off, and dynamic targets, which are targets passed to our Airmen while they are airborne.”

B-1s based here are capable of supporting operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, or anywhere else they are needed. In recent months, the bombers have played a major role in helping Iraqi and Kurdish forces hold or retake key territory in Iraq and Syria, as well as destroying facilities and assets used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The bomber’s range and payload let it conduct multiple strikes with a large number of precision-guided munitions, which would require multiple combat sorties from other aircraft.

“We have accomplished a lot here so far, and we’re definitely up for the challenge that supporting these missions require,” said Hobbs. “We are supporting multiple mission sets across two operations and those mission sets include close air support, armed overwatch and several deliberate targeting missions that are assigned via the air tasking order.”

Operations in Iraq and Syria have provided new mission challenges for veteran B-1 aircrews in the theater. For some, this is their first experience in a combat zone.

In a milestone for gender equality, the Pentagon is finally ending the combat ban for women - a ban that had become woefully obsolete. At last, women warriors will get the recognition and promotions they deserve. The brass ceiling has been shattered, and that’s good news for both women and the military.

Or is it? I admire tough fighting women as much as anyone. Their leadership skills are as good as men’s. They have important roles to play in war, and they’ve been on the front lines - and dying - for years.

But please, people. Let’s get real. Women cannot equal men in ground combat, the kind of dirty, brutal stuff that (fortunately) makes up a very minor part of modern military life, especially post-Afghanistan. It’s not that they can’t be trained to kill - they can. The issue is that the physical differences between men and women are very large, and on the battlefield, they really matter, and can’t be wished away. Men are better fighters because they are bigger and stronger and can endure far more physical punishment before they break down.

The average female soldier is “about five inches shorter than the male soldier, has half the upper body strength, lower aerobic capacity and 37 per cent less muscle mass,” Stephanie Gutmann, author of The Kinder, Gentler Military, wrote in the New Republic. “She cannot pee standing up … She tends, particularly if she is under the age of 30 (as are 60 per cent of military personnel) to get pregnant.”

U.S. Marine Captain Katie Petronio is as tough and motivated as they come - a combat engineer officer with five years of active service, during which she led many field operations. She used to think women like her could serve in the infantry, but she has changed her mind. For one thing, women are far more prone to injury than men. Her last stint in Afghanistan was so gruelling that after seven months, she had lost a large amount of muscle mass and stopped producing estrogen. “I went from breaking school records to being broken in a rather short amount of time,” she told an interviewer. “And I was only doing a portion of what my infantry brethren were doing.”

Dr. MattThe two major "concerns" the hysterical baggers have about women in combat are: 1. Having men and women shit in front of each other. 2. Those girly girls will be unable to perform a fireman's carry of a wounded comrade. ...

‘It’s hard,’ Sanford said Wednesday of his decision to run, in an interview with the Charleston, S.C., station WCBD-TV. ‘I’m scared to death in human terms. I mean, as I say, I’m a wounded warrior. I’m going to step out as best I can and try and advance ideas that I’ve long believed in. But it’s not without fear and trepidation because you know you’re going to get hit, and you’re going to get hit hard.’

It has been reported that nearly 300,000 women have served in combat zones since 2001 and there were 12,000 women serving in Iraq at one time, and there are even more in Afghanistan right now. While females are technically in support roles those jobs include flying aircraft, military police units and vehicle drivers.

It is a fact that many have come under fire with unfriendly forces.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps in a msg called ALMAR 012/12, “Assignment of Women to Ground Combat Units” wrote:

“I HAVE DIRECTED THAT MEASURED AND RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH BE CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE INFORMATION AND DATA NECESSARY TO MAKE AN INFORMED AND EDUCATED RECOMMENDATION ON POTENTIAL POLICY CHANGES. THE CUMULATIVE RESEARCH EFFORT WILL INCLUDE AN EXCEPTION TO THE GROUND ASSIGNMENT POLICY, QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH, AND A TOTAL FORCE SURVEY.”

Contrary to many news media reports the Commandant has not assigned Women Marines to ground combat. Please note that he has asked for research on the subject.

I asked a senior Woman Marine office (retired), whom I hold in high regard and could serve in combat with me any time, what she thought of the research.

“I actually think it’s a good move to see how many women actually volunteer for the training/research and then make it through. It may be a very small number and mostly put an end to the controversy, at least for the Marine Corps — that is, as long as the women actually have to keep pace with their male counterparts throughout the training. If Infantry Officer’s Course (IOC) remains unchanged, I suspect a similar thing will happen as happened in the 70’s when Gen Wilson integrated OCS and TBS — female Marines were initially injured in such large numbers (breaking ankles and legs) that the Corps had to scale down the obstacle course and eventually develop a completely different “agility” course for the female candidates. If IOC stays exactly as is, most of the female volunteers will likely drop out or be dropped. The Corps will have to decide beforehand how they will assign the Women Marines who complete the training and also make it clear to the volunteers beforehand that they are not going to be assigned to infantry units directly. I imagine the volunteers will have to sign a letter of understanding so the Press and/or the ACLU won’t be able to claim discrimination.

“It would be a travesty if the Corps were forced by DoD to make the IOC training ‘gender neutral’ and, thereby, lower the standards to accommodate women. I pray that never happens.”

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